It is done!

Went into Boston last night. Can any of you guess why? That's right. Finally went to see Mr. Corea and friends (as I like to call them).

There are certain times when I get hit with the realization of what a true musician really is (and this isnt excluding other musicians that Ive heard or listen to from time to time, Im just talking about people on a completely different level). Well last night was one of those times. I was trying not to expect much, even though all of the adult musicians I know who knew about me going kept saying how amazing they knew it was gonna be cause they've "seem him a couple times before" or what have you, I still didnt want to think it was going to be the greatest thing in the world and then get dissapointed. Well I probably could've thought that it was going to be the greatest thing and still be satisfied, because throughout the entire show that's damn well what it felt like. I've never heard or seen five guys be so tight and perfectly in synce with eachother. Even aside from the (rediculously complicated) composed sections, meaning in the solo's or just parts where they seemed to be jamming a bit, they seemed to know exactly what each member was going to do. In all honesty (Ben never thought that this would come out of my mouth) I found some of it tighter and/or more complicated than some Zappa stuff (some, not all). Now I know alot of people dont care much for the seemingly impossible to play stuff cause, who knows, maybe they think it takes away from the emotional factor or the personnal element, but this was everything in one. It was like every part of every song was made up of those "inspirational moments" that most musicians or artists in general value so much, which sometimes seperates what people consider normal and genius. It was almost spiritual, not something that could possibly be justified by words. Im not exagerating in this or anything, it may seem like I am, but ask anyone who went or has been a fan of it for a long time and I can almost garuntee they'll say the same thing. They only played about 6 or 7 songs the entire time, which some people may think "oh well it was probly just pointless jamming that went nowhere". I wouldn't blame someone for thinking that if they didnt go or didnt know the music well, cause hey, 6 or 7 songs in a two hour time span? But this wasn't some jam band. This went somewhere. It was a learning experience not to be taken lightly. I found the Sax player to be the most impressive (have you ever tried to make just one note on one of those things? good lord), but frankly they were all on a completely different level. I dont think Ive ever heard a better show opener either. They did a more aucustic part for one song which was great. The guitarist was phenominal, the drummer was amung the top 10 Ive ever heard, the bassist was doing things that I cant really recall ever hearing a bassist do (made me realize that there may be someone on the same level as Victor Wooten), and Chick was even better than I thought he was going to be. He's getting alittle old (early 60's) and he definately put on a few pounds over the years, but his playing was just as good as in the 70's. The Berklee Performance Center isn't all that big either, so it was a nice intimate setting. It was great to see them enjoying themselves so much, they were smiling almost the entire time and seemed to really enjoy what they were playing, instead of some bands who it looks as if they're just running through the songs like it's a chore just to get paid and get out of there as fast as they can. But this was far different.

In conclusion: I realized things that Ive been trying to figure out for quite some time in my own mind about music in general, and my faith in the human race has been restored briefly just by seeing the heights of what can be done by a few people who love and live for what they do. Good day.

Note: I aplogize if it seemed like I was trying to downsize jam bands by saying "This wasn't some jam band. This went somewhere". Frankly, some jam bands dont take it anywhere yet still see it fit to stretch a song out to over a half hour. I was saying that more on a viewpoint of someone who feels that way about jamming or just taking a song to a completely different place from how it started. I feel that improvisation is one of the most important aspects of music and sometimes life itself.

Eclipse...

First time in about 6 months or more I put in 'Dark Side of The Moon'. I usually listen to most other Floyd albums before I put this one in simply cause I think it's too clean cut to learn much on a playing level. It's more of a production learning experience I think. But it's making me miss Ryan Engley. You see it's one of his favorite albums, if not his favorite, and he would listen to it every day, usually more than once. And since I was always at his house I would hear it all the time so now it always reminds me of him and his old house. Anyway, enough reminiscing.

Only three days to Chick Corea. Of course with my luck, or John's luck, or me just being associated with John's luck, something will prevent us from going.

I read something the other night that would infuriate some, and make a whole lot of sense to others. I was in the group that it made a whole lot of sense to. I'll try to find it again cause it was very interesting and I enjoyed it. I'll try to look for it now!....... nope, can't find it. Oh well, I'll try some other time.

Also I found Sharon LocantorE's comment amusing. Although I dont know how she found this. I'm assuming it was Ange's doing.

Super John fixed the Super Virus!

You heard right, John fixed the computer that was infected with many virus' of doom. It took a day and very little of another, but it was accomplished. Sittin here with my guitfiddle, any requests?... Hotel California it is!... That's my dream; to play 'Hotel California' in front of a small crowd at a bar. And then have the end of the world come in a bright flash that no one saw coming as we're all whisked away into a chariot of fire... down to hell where I belong for playing that God forsaken song (I haven't actually played that song ever, nor even attempted to so dont you worry). For some reason this damn return button wont let me space anything I write and it's pissin me off. Im gonna be honest, I didnt really have much to say except that John fixed the computer and that ANGELA LOCANTORY better leave a good comment like she said she would or else there will be consequences. Consequences so terrible that only I can speak of them! But I wont, just to spite you all. Anyway, so next Sunday I'm off to Berklee to see Chick Corea. I know no one cares, but I do and you can all die cause its gonna be great and you're all gonna be sad and alone like you always are and Im gonna be happy and among musicians that are gonna make me wanna kill myself. That's right, it's gonna be SO GREAT that Im gonna be really happy and suicidle at the same time. Anyway, that's all the time I have for now, until next time *tips hat*.

Nap Time.

Man Im sleepy. Not as sleepy as Sleepy Time Jones though. God that's a great character. I feel I have to kiss John's feet for making that one up.

Twenty days from seeing Chick Corea. I told Gary I was going to see him this month yesterday and he made me even more excited about it cause he was talking about other people he's seen that are similar in some ways to Chick Corea and he said its quite the experience seeing people like that play.

So here's what I'm thinkin. I've had this thought in my head but I never really tried to put it into words, but I think I may have found how to articulate it. At least some, anyway. So I've been thinking of people I listen to, or just most really great musicians/composers and how it seems, in some, if not alot of ways, music has taken quite the nose dive over the past couple of decades. Now think of the stuff that people from hundreds of years ago up until 30 or so years ago listened to. They didn't have nearly as much music as we have today so readily available. Nowadays we take for granted the countless different ways we listen to such great music on a daily basis and how easy it is to just go down to the cd store and get whatever you want within minutes of being first interested in it. Think of how much more difficult it was so long (or not so long) ago to find different types of music that we have endless amounts of now. So back then they were pretty much forced, unless you were pretty wealthy, to listen to whatever was popular on the dance floor or whatever the cheapest record was at the local record store to put into a lo-fi Decca record player. And before that, (Im talking more along the lines of a couple hundred years ago or so) the only way to even hear music or be entertained by it was to go to a concert hall or to know a musician, probably not one that could play so great, and the sound of the time, as I think alot of people dont consider, is that they didnt have the technology we have today to make everything sound beautiful and to splice everything together to make The Ultimate Take, nor did they have the "tricks" that most of us have grown up with to make the "natural" sound of an instrument sound so good. So, my point is, notice how what previous musicians listened to and how the quality, quantity, and basic instrumentation and arrangement, unless it being from a more classical period, was usually fairly poor. So as time went on, different musicians, who we regard as standards today, found out ways to improve upon earlier things and vary it into many different forms as we now know as 'genres'. We are now at a point where quality of sound and sales are held higher than quality of the actual music being played. SO, basically, the only reason I said all this was because I realized this in a much greater light this morning and I felt like sharing it. Im sure some of you may think that I didn't really finish what I was saying as best I could, but my goal was just to say as much as I did, so Im happy with it nonetheless. I leave you with this: "Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work."- Gustave Flaubert